Monday, April 27, 2015

Ashland University Department of Music concludes an eventful 2014-2015 academic year on Sunday, May 3, 4:00 p.m. in Hugo Young Theatre with the annual Variable Winds Band Concert. The Ashland Area Community Concert Band under the direction of Leonard Salvo, and the Ashland University Concert Band directed by Kenneth Will will perform and senior Concert Band members will be recognized for their dedication and contribution to the AU Band program. Admission to the concert is complimentary and open to the public.

The Ashland Community Concert Band will open the concert with selections celebrating American tunes including the first three movements (Intrada, Chorale and March) of Clifton Williams' Symphonic Suite, Clare Grundman's American Folk Rhapsody No. 3, Samuel Hazo's Southern Hymn and Savannah River Rhapsody by Robert Sheldon.

After a brief intermission, the University Concert Band will perform a program of different cultures with a Amparito Roca, a Spanish pasodoble from Jaime Texidor, Malcolm Arnold's Four Scottish Dances, Seal Lullaby by Eric Whitacre and conclude with Morton Gould's American Salute.

Sunday, April 26, 2015

On Monday, April 27 at 7:30 p.m. in the Elizabeth Pastor Recital Hall, the honors recital will feature the best of Spring 2015. Students who accomplished exceptional musical work during the semester will showcase their vocal and instrumental talents as selected by their private teachers. The concert is free and open to the public.

Wednesday, April 22, 2015

The Ashland University Chamber Singers, Women's Chorus and a cappella ensemble Surround Sound present their final spring concert on Sunday, April 26 at 4 p.m. in the Jack and Deb Miller Chapel. The performance is free and open to the public.

Dr. Rowland Blackley, Professor of Music and Director of Choral Activities, will conduct the Chamber Singers as they perform The Seasonings by fictitious composer P.D.Q. Bach. This famous oratorio is a musical satire of Joseph Haydn's The Seasons. The piece will feature soloists as well as common and uncommon instruments.

Dr. Marla Butke, Associate Professor of Music, will direct the Women's Chorus with accompaniment by pianists Rachel Crow and Eddie Carney; DR Haught on flute; Jane Reed, violin; and Tyler Watson, percussion. The program for the Women's Chorus will include Mozart's Dona Nobis Pacem, the art songs Will There Really Be a Morning and Untraveled Worlds, and John Rutter's The Lord Bless You and Keep You which will feature the senior women.

The student-led a cappella ensemble Surround Sound will perform three tunes including Frankie Lymon & The Teenagers' Why Do Fools Fall In Love?, the jazz standard Solitude, and Katy Perry's E.T.

Tuesday, April 21, 2015

Ashland University Department of Music presents two evenings of opera scenes which will feature scenes from fairy tales and more. The performances which are free and open to the public are scheduled for Friday and Saturday, April 24 and 25, 7:30 p.m. at the Elizabeth Pastor Recital Hall.

Under the direction of Stephanie Sikora, Professor of Music and Head of the Voice Area in the Department of Music at Ashland University, this annual event features vocal performances from student singers. This year's female cast includes sopranos Abigail Brady, Rachel Gollhardt, Maria Cardona, Fatima Imani Smith, Grace Keller and Hannah Wise along with mezzo-soprano Sarah Napier. Male singers include tenor Corey Turpin, and baritones Deric Dove, DR Haught and Jake Riley.

With scenes from seven different operas each evening, the program presents scenes from fairy tales such as Little Red Riding Hood and Hansel and Gretel along with Donizetti's Elixir of Love, Delibes'Lakme, Bucci's Sweet Betsy from Pike (A Horse Opera), Gershwin's Porgy and Bess, and The Tenderland by Aaron Copland.

Sunday, April 19, 2015

Dr. Scott Garlock will conduct the Ashland University Jazz Orchestra for their final concert of the year at the Eagles Nest in the Hawkins-Conard Student Center on Tuesday, April 21 at 7:30 p.m. Audience members are welcome to grab a snack, enjoy a beverage and relax to the live music of AUJO at the Nest.

Friday, April 17, 2015

Ashland University Department of Music presents two instrumental ensembles recital on Monday, April 20 in the Elizabeth Pastor Recital Hall. The 7 p.m. concert features a trumpet ensemble, clarinet trio, flute trio and saxophone ensemble. At the 8:15 p.m. recital, the percussion ensemble, string ensemble, brass ensemble and jazz combo will perform. Both concerts are free and open to the public.

Thursday, April 16, 2015

The student-led a cappella ensemble Surround Sound presents their annual concert on Sunday, April 19 at 7:30 p.m. The program will feature a variety of popular tunes including When I'm Gone, The Cup Song from Pitch Perfect, selections from Katy Perry, Boys II Men, Cold Play along with several arrangements by Pentatonix and more. The concert is free and open to the public.

Tuesday, April 14, 2015

The Ashland University Choir and Ashland Area Chorus join the Ashland Symphony Orchestra to perform a grand
finale of a concert as its swan
song to Ashland Middle
School’s McDowell Auditorium.
The symphony’s “An American
in Paris” concert is 7:30
p.m. Saturday, April 18 at
McDowell, and the concert will
be the symphony’s final performance
in the venue before the
school is demolished.

As part of the “An American
in Paris” concert, the symphony
will perform four compositions
with French influences.
To begin, Lipsky will lead the
orchestra through Leonard
Bernstein’s “Chichester Psalms,”
which features Ashland University
Choir, Ashland Area Chorus
and 13-year-old treble soloist
Francesco von Bülow. “The ‘Psalms’ is a serious
piece by Bernstein, but you can
hear especially his ‘West Side
Story’ roots, the influence of
jazz and lighter music on this
piece,” Lipsky said. “And the
chorus is singing in Hebrew,
so they’re excited about this. It
makes it tricky to sing in a nonEuropean
language.” Following “Chichester
Psalms” is “The Muse and
the Poet” by French composer
Camille Saint-Saëns, which features
solos by Michelle Abraham
on violin and Miles Richardson
on cello.
After an intermission, the
symphony will perform “Prelude
to the Afternoon of the
Faun” by Claude Debussy, which
features a flute solo throughout
the piece. The concert conclude’s
with George Gershwin’s
“An American in Paris,” which
Lipsky said is one of Gershwin’s
“most recognized pieces.” The
piece is influenced by jazz and
blues and features a trumpet
solo and even the percussion
section’s “taxi horn” instruments.There will be a reception
backstage following the concert. Tickets
are available online at www.ashlandsymphony.org
or by calling
419-289-5115.

Wednesday, April 8, 2015

Orff specialist Roger Sams has been selected for the 2015 Gretchen French Visiting Artist Series in Music at Ashland University. Mr. Sams will visit Ashland University on April 12 to 14 to present four workshops each focusing on a different music classroom setting. All of the workshops are free and open to the public and will be held in Room 242 in the Center for the Arts (formerly known as the Arts & Humanities Building).

The first workshop title "The Artful Music Classroom" is scheduled on Sunday, April 12 at 6:30 p.m. andwill focus on primary grades. On Monday, April 13 at 10 a.m., he will present a workshop on using improvisation in elementary general music; and at 3:30 p.m. he will return to "The Artful Music Classroom" but focus on middle and upper elementary grades. His visit will conclude with a composition in elementary general music workshop at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, April 14.
Roger Sams retired from the music classroom in 2013 after 31 years of teaching music in public and private schools. He has served as adjunct faculty teaching methods courses and supervising student teachers at Cleveland State University. He also has been on the faculty in teacher education programs at the University of St. Thomas, Cleveland State University, Akron University, the University of Montana, University of Missouri-St. Louis and other venues throughout the US.

Roger is a regular presenter at state, regional, and national conferences, has served on the American Orff-Schulwerk Association (AOSA) National Board of Trustees, and has worked with teachers in Canada, China, Indonesia and India. He currently serves as Director of Publications and Music Education Consultant at Music is Elementary. He is the co-author of “Purposeful Pathways: Possibilities for the Elementary Music Classroom” with Beth Ann Hepburn. He has published works for children’s choirs in the “Crooked River Choral Project” series and a collection of rounds and partner songs entitled, “A Round My Heart.”

Trained in Gestalt therapy, Roger is interested in the power of choice in the artistic process, teaching, and life. He holds a Bachelor of Music from Bowling Green State University and a Master of Arts in Music Education from Case Western Reserve University.

The Gretchen French Endowed Visiting Artist Series at Ashland University was established through a bequest from the estate of Gretchen French. Although Ms. French never attended Ashland University, it was through close friends and alums, Phillip (‘53) and Jean (‘55) Lersch, that she decided Ashland was well suited to demonstrate in perpetuity her values and hopes for young people. Her entire life was dedicated to people, placing others' needs before her's by unselfishly serving them, in particular her family and many, many young musicians. This is a fitting tribute to her and will be a continual reminder of her love not only of music but most importantly people.

The goal of the Series is to provide Ashland University students close contact and mentoring with an outstanding visiting musician/music teacher. The particular field of expertise for the Series will vary from year to year. It is a goal of the Series to find Visiting Artists that have the widest possible expertise and appeal to students in various areas of music study.

Monday, April 6, 2015

Music education major Don Roger Haught will present his senior recital assisted by pianist Susan Gregg along with fellow flutists Jane Berkner, Emily Minns and Devyn Renninger on Sunday, April 12 at 5 p.m. in the Elizabeth Pastor Recital Hall. His program of classic and contemporary pieces will include Greg Pattillo's Three Beats for Beatbox Flute. DR is a graduate of Wooster High School and studies privately with Jane Berkner. Free & Open to the Public.

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ASHLAND MUSIC NEWS is a blog to provide news and information about our programs, students, faculty, and ensembles.Ashland University is a private, comprehensive institution in Ashland, OH, founded in 1878.The Department of Music is an accredited institutional member of the National Association of Schools of Music.